Rochester & Monroe Co., NY

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Early Rochester Marriages

One of the recent books scanned by the Rochester Public Library is “Early Marriages in Rochester, Monroe Co., NY and the Vicinity” by Myrte R. Haynes and Mary T. Douglas. It is a 81 page typed manuscript of marriages from before 1850. On the first page it says that these records are “taken from church records and newspapers.” None of the marriage records have any individual references. If you find a name in this manuscript, you should search for the original source. The Rochester Newspaper Index is online and first check to see if the same name appears in there.O also have transcribed newspaper records from 1818 – 1830, For those see the GenWeb vital records page.

I suspect, but am not positive of, that the only church records that were included in this manuscript were St. Luke’s Episcopal Church and First Presbyterian Church of Rochester. St. Luke’s original records have been scanned by the Rochester Genealogical Society and are online on the Church Records page. The “History of First Presbyterian Church, Rochester, N.Y., 1815 – 1915” has not only marriages but also baptisms, deaths, admissions and dismissions. That book is only available in the Rochester Public Library (RPL Rfr285.1 R676f). The author of that book is also Mryte R. Haynes.

Seeing as NY State didn’t start registration of vital records until 1880, you will have to look elsewhere. The best source for marriages would be church records but they are difficult to find as churches mov, close or merge. There are some church records on the Rochester Genealogical Society website (see: http://nyrgs.org/chRecImages/chRecImages.htm). Also you get get some microfilmed church records at LDS Family History Libraries. Start by searching their card catalog (see: https://familysearch.org/catalog-search).